Meet Some of the Trailblazing TD SYNNEX Leaders Recognized by CRN as 2023 Women of the Channel
TD SYNNEX is proud to have some of the industry’s top female leaders as part of our diverse workforce. We’ve talked before about how women in the channel are leading change, which makes today’s announcement very exciting.
CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized 19 TD SYNNEX leaders to the Women of the Channel list for 2023, including two individuals named to the Power 100 list. See below for the full list:
- (Power 100 Recognition) Willa Flemate, Senior Vice President, Sales
- (Power 100 Recognition) Stacy Nethercoat, Executive Vice President, Advanced Solutions
- Melissa Clayton, Vice President, Sales
- Trisha Cooke, Vice President, Engineering
- Desiree Cruz, Sr. Director Product Management
- Tiffany Embry, Sr. Director, Sales
- Brenna Farahvashi, Vice President, Inside Sales
- Ulla Glover, Director, Vendor Management
- Monique Griggley, Sr. Director of IT Engineering
- Tracy Holtz, Vice President, Cloud
- Ashley Love, Lenovo IDG Business Development
- Jessica McDowell, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Security Strategy
- Emily McFadden, Director, Product Management
- Calhoun McKinney, Senior Director, Product Business Management
- Kaye McMillan, Senior Vice President, Sales Development & Communities
- Cheryl Neal, Vice President, New Vendor Acquisition & Global Solutions
- Brianne Small, Director, Vendor Marketing
- Shannon Stack, Director, Lenovo Infrastructure Solutions Group
- Dez Tsai, Sr. Director of Pre-Sales Enablement
Every year, CRN recognizes women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose expertise and vision are leaving a noticeable and commendable mark on the technology industry. The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, but all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers.
Here’s what some of the honorees had to say about being recognized as a leader in the industry:
“I am very honored and grateful for this recognition and will continue taking the opportunity to coach, mentor and guide women to challenge themselves and focus on continuous learning,” said Willa Flemate, Senior Vice President, Sales. “Our business is always changing and it is imperative to stay ahead of the curve.”
“Being recognized and appreciated for my hard work while contributing to innovation in technology is highly satisfying,” said Stacy Nethercoat, Executive Vice President, Advanced Solutions. “I believe fundamental values such as diversity and inclusivity serve as unifying forces that amplify our collective strengths. Our differences hold importance, particularly when we embrace them; laying the foundations for success. Celebrating diversity and valuing diverse perspectives enables us to forge genuine connections with our partners and customers, resulting in more inventive solutions and taking us toward stronger and more meaningful relationships.”
“For me, receiving this recognition is representative of the team that surrounds me. I am blessed to work and collaborate with the best co-workers in the business, and it is both humbling and motivating when you receive this sort of industry recognition,” said Cheryl Neal, Vice President, New Vendor Acquisition & Global Solutions. “It reminds me that I still have work to do to become the best version of myself, as a student of the industry and a servant leader. This honor also means that I have an obligation to continue leading by example and mentoring those that may benefit from the lessons I have learned along the way.”
“Recognition as a leader in an industry that is fast paced and ever-changing is a true testament to the results delivered by our team,” said Jessica McDowell, Senior Vice President, Business Development & Security Strategy. “I am proud every single day of the tenacity, grit, and ingenuity that our TD SYNNEX Security & Networking team has shown when faced with both challenges and opportunities.”
“It is so exciting to be recognized amongst such an amazing list of women leaders. I am thrilled to be part of the growth and evolution of the channel and see so many more women leading the strategy and direction of the industry,” said Kaye McMillan, Senior Vice President, Sales Development & Communities. “I hope to inspire more women to be part of this amazing industry.”
“I feel honored to be named to the Women of the Channel list and be recognized along with my very talented co-workers and other industry leaders,” said Trisha Cooke, Vice President, Engineering. “All of these women have made significant contributions to our channel ecosystem over the last year. Congratulations to everyone who has been recognized as part of Women of the Channel!”
“Being recognized as an industry leader in this way is a milestone reminder that we have come far in this industry in the 10 fast-paced years that I have been a part of it,” said Calhoun McKinney, Senior Director, Product Business Management. “I am honored to be recognized, but I would not be here without the support of some amazing teammates and our partner community who have led to our shared success at the world’s largest distributor.”
“I am humbled to be included among some of the leading women, and my success is a reflection of my amazing team that I lead daily. IT isn’t an industry where female leaders are prevalent — that’s something that has changed over the last 10 years,” said Tracy Holtz, Vice President, Cloud. “That there are so many of us and that we all have had opportunities in our careers makes me excited for the future including leveraging to coach and mentor future women leaders.”
“Being recognized as an industry leader in the channel after almost 23 years of service is extremely meaningful to me, both as a woman and as someone who is dedicated and passionate about the success of our customer and vendor partners. I value the tremendous industry relationships built along the way and it’s an honor to be recognized along with so many other talented, ambitious, and successful women,” said Melissa Clayton, Vice President, Sales. “I value the daily opportunity to solve for problems and collectively offer solutions that help others be successful. Whether that be within the TD SYNNEX organization or externally, it is validating when you can come together and serve the needs of others.
“To be included in this list with such amazing women mentors and leaders that I have admired and grown up with at TD SYNNEX means the world to me. I have been blessed to have parents who taught me at a young age that if I cannot be the smartest person in the room, I can always be the hardest working person in the room and that is how I have approached my career. I have raised my hand for additional opportunities so that I may learn and expand my industry knowledge and expertise. Many of these opportunities come with additional work and have been challenging, but they have also been some of the most rewarding and largest learning experiences I have had in my career,” said Brenna Farahvashi, Vice President, Inside Sales. “They have also provided me the ability to learn and be mentored by many amazing women at TD SYNNEX, some of which have also earned this recognition. I hope that young women entering the industry today can look to me and these women recognized as inspiration and that ultimately, hard work does pay off.”
The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine and is available online now.
